Insightful Commentary from and on the Canadian Film World

When Hollywood Directors Make Adverts

Adverts used to be short clips aimed to make people buy products. They were aimed to be informative, yet convincing, but they have lacked that Hollywood touch for a very long time. But with advertisement reaching new heights in the past decades, commercials have grown exponentially along with them. And since they were lacking in the big screen charm, more and more companies have called upon big directors from Tinseltown to unleash their magic into advertisement. In this article, we are going to tell you about three of the best adverts made by big directors so sit back and enjoy the ride!

1. Wes Anderson’s “Come Together” – H&M – 2016

While this was not the first time when Wes Anderson directed an advert, this one is a small masterpiece. Similar in style to his greatly applauded “Grand Budapest Hotel”, this H&M advert is a short film in the true sense of the word. Starring Oscar winner Adrien Brody, the ad is about the passengers on a train who are forced to stay aboard for eleven more hours due to poor weather conditions, even if that means spending Christmas on the train. The conductor decides to make things better and sets up a small celebration for the passengers, which ends up being a magical experience.

The tallented director of “The Others”, “Open Your Eyes”, and “Agora” has made this year’s ad for the Spanish Christmas Lottery, the single biggest holiday event in Spain. Alejandro Amenábar’s advert is bound to be one of the best Loteria de Navidad commercials in its longstanding tradition of stunning ads. It tells the story of an alien who comes to our planet and ends up falling in love with an Earthling. The interaction between the two goes past all barriers of communication and it reminds us that true love can conquer absolutely anything. If you like the official version, make sure you take the time to watch the 20-minute extended version of the short film as well because it is a true cinematic delight.

Released shortly after Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan”, “La Nuit de L’Homme” is a true visual delight. The ad stars French actor Vincent Cassel, who played one of the leads in Black Swan. And to give this Yves Saint Laurent commercial the full Aronofsky effect, the “Requiem for a Dream” director even teamed up with composer Clint Mansell, who provides the enticing music to this stunning commercial. Set to bring out the magic in the small details that builds up a man’s charm, “La Nuit de L’Homme” is all about raw attraction. You too will fall prey to Cassel’s irresistible nature in this electric advert. Enjoy!